CLEVELAND (Ticker) -- After a weekend of offense, rookie Dan
Wright's gem was a welcome sight for the Chicago White Sox.

Wright tossed seven strong innings and Jeff Liefer's solo homer
in the third proved to be the difference as the White Sox posted
a 7-1 victory over the Cleveland Indians to earn a split of the
four-game series.

Cleveland and Chicago combined for 49 runs in the first three
games of the set, with each team scoring at least seven in each
game.

Wright (4-2) turned in the best pitching performance of the
series, giving up just one run and six hits. He threw 56 of 99
pitches for strikes, walked three and struck out one.

"He has been impressive against these top teams," Chicago
manager Jerry Manuel said. "He throws a heavy ball. It depends
on his command."

The 23-year-old righthander allowed only two runners to reach
second base and won his second consecutive start.

Liefer entered in the second inning as a replacement for
All-Star right fielder Magglio Ordonez, who left after injuring
himself on a check swing in the first.

"It was between Liefer and (Aaron) Rowand," Manuel said. "Liefer
had a good BP, so I went with him."

Manuel's decision paid off with one out in the third, when
Liefer drove a 2-2 pitch from Cleveland starter Bartolo Colon
(12-11) over the wall in right to give the White Sox a 2-1 lead.

"Luckily (I came in) early in the game, so I was still pretty
loose," Liefer said. "I am always ready. It was a fastball,
and the way he throws I was looking for a fastball."

Wright held the potent Indians' offense in check before turning
things over to Alan Embree, who struck out three over the final
two innings.

Jose Canseco singled twice and scored three times for the White
Sox, who took the season series, 10-9, and moved within eight
games of first-place Cleveland in the American League Central.

Colon, who has been battling elbow and greoin injuries, allowed
three runs and seven hits and threw 131 pitches before leaving
with one out in the sixth.

"I made too many pitches," Colon said. "I was missing by inches
and they hit my mistakes. (My groin and elbow) don't feel all
that good, but you can't worry about it at this time of year."

"He never said anything about his elbow bothering him," Indians
manager Charlie Manuel added. "I was trying to keep him in
there as long as possible to keep us in the game. It finally
reached the point where I had to get him. He never got in a
rhythm."

The Indians got their only run in the second on Jim Thome's
league-leading 47th homer and saw their lead in the AL Central
shrink to six games over second-place Minnesota.

The White Sox jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the second inning when
Chris Singleton hit a leadoff single, advanced on a groundout
and scored all the way from second on Mark Johnson's sacrifice
bunt.

After Thome and Liefer traded homers, Canseco opened the sixth
with a single and scored on Royce Clayton's one-out single.

Canseco and Carlos Lee drew consecutive walks against Roy Smith
to start the eighth and scored on pinch hitter Tony Graffanino's
single off Rich Rodriguez for a 5-1 lead.

Chicago capped the scoring with two runs in the ninth on
groundouts by Singleton and Clayton.